Like Father, Like Son
by Alexander von Caesar
Summary: Tony Grace is something else. Runs away at age seven with a classmate he's only known for three days, Annabeth Chase. Huddles in the cold of San Francisco streets with her, hoping that the monsters won't find them. Then, along comes Thalia and Luke.
1. Family Devided

Zeus sat silently in the corner of the room, watching his young daughter laughing as Tony tried to spell his name with blocks, tongue sticking comically out in frustration. The God of the Skies was currently having a storm brewing in his mind, mulling over such things as The Great Prophecy, his mortal mistress, and just about everything else.

"Look daddy!" Thalia cried, doubling over. Zeus couldn't help but chuckle, his son getting up scattering the blocks.

"No funny!" he whined, sitting down with his lip stuck out.

"Ah, your brother had the same troubles," Zeus whispered, remembering how Franklin had had trouble with learning to swim, the same activity that took away the use of legs. He still blamed Poseidon for it...

"Daddy, can Tony stay? Please?" Thalia asked, her eyes pleading.

"Ah, I'm sorry my sweet, but I'm afraid he must go now. Back to his mother's," Zeus rumbled, ruffling Thalia's hair as he got up, the sky outside darkening slowly. He promised Maria that Tony would be back before six in the evening.

"Zeus, I could take care of Tony for a while! Please, stay and have dinner with us," Jennifer said from the door, with a bright, naive smile on her face.

This was the part Zeus hated most. "Jennifer, you know this must be done. I have to take Tony to a safe place, so he'll be safe. And I wish I could stay but..." Zeus trailed off. King of the Gods, we was speechless before a woman's anger.

"But what? Don't you love me? Don't you want your children to know each other?" Jennifer asked, smile melting away like plastic in flames.

"Tony, come to your father. It's time to go see Matthew!" Zeus said with enthusiasm, trying to get his son away from Jennifer, who was slowly losing her temper.

"Daddy, can I come too? I want to see Matthew and Maria!" Thalia gleamed, oblivious to the the tense situation.

Zeus froze. He knew what was next. "Maria? Is that the bitch's name? The one that's keeping my son away from me?" Jennifer screeched, tears spilling over her makeup.

"Jennifer, please, your scaring the children," Zeus said as he walked toward the other door in the room.

"Daddy please.. please don't leave me!" Thalia bawled, causing her brother to tear up as well.

"My muse, I wo-" Zeus started but Jennifer had advanced on Thalia and slapped her.

"You're mine!" she yelled, taking Thalia roughly but the collar.

Zeus then set Tony down by the door and quickly rushed to Jennifer, grabbing her by the arms with force. "Touch my daughter again, and I will come back to make you wish you had never met me," he whispered with deadly force, the outside world darkening with clouds.

Jennifer just laughed. 'You won't hurt me until Jason's due," she whispered, pointing at her enlarged belly.

Zeus growled and pushed her back, but not with any force behind it. "We're leaving," he said, before kneeling in front of Thalia and whispering in her ear a blessing, before kissing her forehead and departing, Tony in arms.

"Need a drink?" Maria asked as Tony and Matthew played with Tonka toys in the living room. Zeus sat down and rubbed his face, groaning.

"I don't think you have anything strong enough," Zeus joked, grinning without any real humor.

"Darn, I usually keep some nectar down in the basement," she mused back, chuckling a bit.

"No, silly! You put the back on like this, and then you push the button!" Tony said, laughing as he showed Matthew how to operate a particular toy.

"Cool man!" Matthew said with a huge grin on his face, his wavy blonde hair hanging over his eyes.

"He looks just like his father," Zeus said, thinking of Apollo's swooning brown eyes and brilliant blonde hair.

"As does Tony," remarked Maria. She was right, with Tony's raven black hair short and bedraggled on his head, with his stunning electric blue eyes.

"Thank you for doing this, Maria. Apollo was right about you," Zeus said, taking Maria's hand gently, in a soothing fashion.

"That old scoundrel still thinks of me?' Maria asked with a lopsided grin. "What did he say?'

"That you were trustworthy and caring. That's more than he could say for about every mortal he's been with," Zeus said, happy that he could still have a friend that didn't berate him.

"Well... I'm sure... Tell him I say thanks," Maria stumbled, blushing.

"I'll be sure to. Oh, and tell Tony the story of Heracles will you? I think he may be very important to the prophecy," Zeus said, standing up.

"The one? What about Poseidon's kid?" Maria asked, also rising.

"One can only hope they work together better than I and my brother," Zeus said, a feeling of cold lead balling up in his stomach. Poseidon and Zeus were allies, never friends, rarely siblings.

"Hopefully. I will, at any rate. Thank you for coming by Zeus," Maria said, opening the door for the God.

"Of course. I'll do my best to visit again. My little hero, come bid your father farewell!" Zeus laughed as Tony rushed forward, enveloping his father in a hug.

"Bye daddy. Be careful," Tony said, with glum.

"Don't worry. We'll meet again," Zeus said, before stepping outside into the cold night, seeing a figure waiting for him. He waited for the door to close, before calling out to it.

"Who follows me here?" he asked, stepping closer.

"An ancient mariner," came the cryptic, insolent reply, but Zeus knew the voice.

"Poseidon. What brings you here, brother?' Zeus replied coldly.

"You seemed shook up. I don't know if you cared to notice, but the entire west coast is closed to sailing, due to fierce winds," Poseidon chuckled, stepping closer.

"Yes, the mortals boats were my primary concern," Zeus said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Poseidon glared at his brother, sighing. 'Listen, I didn't come here to contest with you. I merely wished to... 'check up on you', as the mortals say these days," the elder sea god rumbled, stroking his black beard.

Zeus rolled his eyes skyward and shook his head. "Why do you care how I fare?" Zeus said quietly, beginning to walk away.

"We're not all trying to dethrone you brother. If that's what your worried about, you should watch your new children closely," Poseidon sighed.

Lightning cracked in the sky above the two gods. "You dare bring my children into this?" Zeus inquired, his tone a deadly calm.

"No, that's not what I meant, and you know it. Our children have the power to save us or bring about our destruction. I believe it's imperative that we become better brothers, so that we may work together to secure our existence," Poseidon said solemnly, resting a hand on Zeus' shoulder.

Zeus flinged his brother's hand off in annoyance. "I don't need your help. Make sure your brat stays out of my children's way, or he will be injured. Severely," Zeus said, his arrogance flaring up.

Poseidon seized Zeus by the shirt and leveled him with a gaze of fury. 'You even touch Perseus, and I swear that you will come tumbling down from your lofty throne," he whispered, the smell of sea salt filling the air.

Zeus's shoved Poseidon away. "Then so be it," he growled, before disappearing in a flash of lightning.

Poseidon was left with a look of dismay on his face, rubbing his brow in frustration. He was usually calm and level, but whenever Zeus made threats towards Perseus, his son, the sea god lost his nerve.

"May The Fates have mercy," he said, before dissipating in a breeze of water.


	2. Back In the Saddle

**Hello readers! Sorry for the lack of an introduction last time. This fic is a long idea of mine. I know the 'extra son of Zeus' thing has been done to death, but I felt I could introduce a serious, fresh, new spin to it. This is a prequel to The Lightning Thief, and I intend for there to be another five fics, each one with my new character(s) in it and their points of view.**

**The good news currently being school is coming to an end, and I can hopefully finish up this prequel and get started on The Lightning Thief.**

**reboo345 and ineedacleverpenname: Thanks! I do my best**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, save my own characters, and the idea to add them and create a branch off of Rick Riodran's series into my own, which I make no profit from.**

My dreams were so weird.

I was running through a pitch black forest, the shining moon above my head. My footsteps seem thunderous in my hears, or maybe that's just my heartbeat.

"Tony! Keep running!" a voice whispers in the darkness.

"Th-Thalia? Where are you?" I asked scared, stopping.

"Here, by the bush," the girl whispered again, a tone of worry in her voice.

"I'm coming..."I trailed off, running towards the bush.

"Tony," a voice said gently.

"What?" I asked, Thalia suddenly gone.

"Tony, sweetie," the voice said, as I felt a poking in my side.

"Ah!" I yelped, sitting straight up in my bed, sweating a bit. My childish form was shaking as my mother smiled with concern.

"Oh, honey, bad dream?" she asked.

"Yeah..." I said, confused. Who was the girl I saw? Her name felt familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Well, it's over now. Come out and have your cereal when you're ready. You have a big day ahead of you," she said, smiling as she left my room.

I sighed, getting up. Second grade. In retrospect, it seems childish, but then, it was as if I was Hercules, fighting the hydra. Time to choose my equipment.

Spider-Man t-shirt? Check. Tiny denims to fit my small legs? Check. Backpack that had an insane amount of pockets? Check.

I got dressed, took myself and my backpack to the dining table, where Matt and mom were already talking about school and how he felt about it.

"Hey Matt," I said, yawning. I always felt tired when summer ended.

"Hey bro. Ready for school?" he asked, smiling. Was he serious?

"No. It looks scary," I said, trying to reach the box of Lucky Charms on the top shelf.

"I got it sweety. Sit down and I'll make you a bowl," mom said, smiling as her tall form reached the box with ease.

"Thanks mom!" I said with a smile, sitting at the table, as Matthew ate his Recess Pieces.

"It'll be okay. I mean, I heard we have a new girl. Jimmy told me," he said, a gleam in his eyes. Matt always was the morning bird, rising with the sun.

"Really? What's her name?" I asked, curiosity taking over my mind.

"Anna- anna... something. I never heard her name before," he said, struggling with his memory.

Mom set the bowl of Lucky Charms in front of me with a spoon. I smiled and dug in, hungry.

"Annabelle?" I asked, mouth full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" mom scolded, glaring.

"Sorry," I said, after I swallowed.

"No... I guess we can ask her at school," Matt said, shrugging.

"I guess so," I said, finish my cereal.

Me, Mom, and Matt kept talking until the clock ticked to 7:45, and it was time to leave.

* * *

><p>"Okay, if anything is wrong, you can call me, okay?" mom told us as we pulled up to San Francisco Elementary.<p>

"Okay," me and Matt said at the same time, grabbing our backpacks and getting out of the car.

"I love you!" Mom added, almost a tone of desperation in her voice. I didn't notice it then.

"Love you too," I said, getting out to scan the schoolyard. I spotted numerous girls (cooties!) and boys, and they ere divided into groups. There were the kids who could afford fur boots and fuzzy hats. There kids who were so poor they didn't have backpacks. There kids who were playing some trading card game cats in the corner.

"Love you too mom!" Matt said before slamming the car door shut. He pushed his blonde hair out of his face before also scanning the school yard.

"Huh. I wonder where Anna-something is," he said, scanning the green grass full of kids.

"Hmm.. maybe she'll be in our class," I offered, seeing that kids were already walking through the front doors. 'Let's go," I said, leading the way.

"Right," Matt said, stopping to talk to a couple girls. The girls were frightened away, but I was sure that'd change.

I rolled my eyes and bumped into a girl with blonde hair, knocking her down. "Sorry," I said, trying to help her up.

"Are you blind?" she shot back, before getting up by herself and marching into the school.

"Wow. She's mean," Matt said, standing next to me.

"I did make her fall over," I said, blaming myself.

"So? She didn't have to be mean," he argued. "C'mon! It's boring out here," he said, trampling into the school.

I followed him. I had been to school before, but I got transferred after my teacher tried to eat me. Mom says that the teacher was just a bit off that day. I believed her, but it only made me more teacher-phobic.

I asked Matt which class we were supposed to go into. "Mrs... Tout," he told me, checking his piece of paper mom gave him.

We both went down the hall, and I again spotted the blonde girl I knocked over. I tried to reach her, but the crowd was to thick.

Eventually, me and Matt got situated in our seats, and I found I was sitting next to meanie girl. Great. I looked at her name tag, however, and found a surprise.

Annabeth M. Chase

"You're Annabeth!" I said happily, delighted I solved my little puzzle.

"You're blind, but you can read?" she asked, sarcastically, taking out a book. Not just a picture book, it had words everywhere on every page. I was dyslexic, so was Matt, and we always had mom read to us.

"You don't have to be mean. What book is that?" I asked, curious.

The girl sighed. 'The.. the Eled," she struggled out.

"The Iliad?" I corrected.

"Yeah!" she said, smiling. More than likely thinking I was as smart as she was. 'Have you read it?" she asked.

"My mom reads me parts some times," I say. "We're up to the part where Paris and Menelaus fight," I told her.

"Oh," she said, glum. 'I... I've made it to the end!" she said defiantly.

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. 'Why are you on the eighth page?" I asked.

"I'm... I'm dyslexic, but don't you dare tell anyone," she said, leveling me with a gaze of fury.

"It's okay, I'm dyslexic too!" I said, proudly. Mom always said being dyslexic made me unique.

"Oh.. you are? Could... your mom read to me too?" Annabeth asked, smiling.

"Sure. Won't your mom read to you though?" I ask, curious.

Annabeth looked away and didn't say anything. Eventually, the teacher got us started.

"Good morning class! My name is Mrs. Tout," she said, spelling her name on the chalkboard.

"Good morning, Mrs. Tout," I said, embarrassed when I finished. I liked being unique, but looking silly was different.

"Very good, Mr...Johnson," Mrs. Tout said, looking at my nametag. "Class, follow Mr. Johnson's example," she said.

"What's an example?" one kid asked, scratching his head.

"Something you do to show other people how you do it," Annabeth said, like she was talking to a baby.

"Thank you, Miss Chase," Mrs. Tout said. "Now class, follow Mr. Johnson's example," she said, gesturing to me.

"Good morning Mrs. Tout," the class said in harmony.

The day carried on, with Mrs. Tout showing us how to add big numbers by carrying the number over. Annabeth seemed to pick up in it rather quickly, while me and Matt struggled.

Eventually, it was my favorite time of the day. Recess.

**Wow, that was a bore wasn't it? I'll try to have more interesting content next chapter**


	3. My Flock

**Good day readers! I do feel the need to explain a few things, for future reference.**

**This story is not planned. Each chapter I write usually takes about 40 minutes total. I have the whole saga planned in my head, however. For more on where I intend to go, see my profile.**

**Thank you to my two loyal reviewers and your kind words.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my own characters.**

* * *

><p>Recess always my favorite part of school. Any child will more than likely tell you that at the age of seven years old.<p>

Mrs. Tout dismissed us, and we all filed out the large door in her class to the playground outside. I waved over Matt, to meet Annabeth.

My blonde brother jogged over with a soccer ball. "What's up bro?' he asked with that smile of his.

"I found Annabeth," I said, gesturing towards said girl, who was currently studying the skies with intent curiosity. She came back to Earth when I said her name.

"Really? Hi Annabeth," Matt said smiling brightly, setting the ball down to shake her hand.

Annabeth shook his hand. "Hello," she said, keeping a straight face.

"You don't think Mom will care if Annabeth comes over after school, will she?' I asked. I really felt a connection with Annabeth, like I did with Matt.

"No! But Annabeth will have to ask her mom and dad," he said, kicking the ball to a new friend he had made. 'See you later!" he called back after us as he went on to enjoy himself.

"My dad won't care," Annabeth said, almost vehemently.

"Cool!" I said, blissfully ignorant of her discontent with her father.

She sighed and walked over to sit down on a swing. I sat next to her.

"You look sad," I said, forwardly.

She looked at me. "How do you know?" she shot back defensively.

"Cuz my mom looks like that sometimes. Then she cries. I always ask her why and she says she's thinking of a friend she used to have," I explained to Annabeth.

"I... I don't have a mom. Not a real mom, any ways," she told me.

"I don't have a dad," I said, trying to comfort her.

"Oh... why did he leave?" Annabeth asked, curiosity in her eyes.

"Mom always said he was a busy man. She told me that he loved me but that he had to do other things," I said in a small voice. I didn't understand, then, why my father had left.

"My dad tells me the same about my mom," she told me. She looked liked she needed a hug, but she also had the attitude to stab someone if they did hug her.

"Hey! New kid. Why are you hanging out with the freak?" a newcomer said. He had a round face, equally matched by a round, fat stomach.

"What freak?" I asked, not knowing who he referred to.

"Chase! She's so weird. Her dad is always at the Home Depot buying things, talking to himself," the fat boy said, as other kids started to come over.

"Yeah? Looks like your dad buys you a lot of chocolate," I said, standing up. Annabeth grabbed my arm.

"You don-" she started, eyes looking at the ground.

"What? Listen man, I was trying to let you hang with us, but, maybe you like hanging out with freak girl, thinking she's so smart," he interrupted, he and his friend laughing.

"Don't call her that, fat boy. Go back to eating your lunch before I beat it out of you," I said, my voice suddenly rich in tone and depth. I hadn't even known I could say those kind of things. I felt a sense of protection, like Annabeth was in my flock, she was my friend.

The kid's eyes widened. "R-Rob! Beat him up!" he stuttered, scared. It seemed like no one had ever stood up to fat boy before.

"W-what man? No, my dad will kill me," another kid said.

"Not if I get to you first," I whispered, under my voice. That part scared me.

"Okay, okay man. Listen, I'm sorry, real sorry. I'm sorry Cha-Annabeth. I'll just go," the fat boy said, running off, slipping a few times.

The crowd eventually fell apart and kids went back to what they were doing. Matt stayed.

"Wow! What was that?" he asked, grinning.

"I... I don't know," I said, honestly. I wouldn't of even won if I had got in a fight.

"You didn't have to do that," Annabeth said meekly. The next thing she said I didn't hear.

"What?" I asked.

"Thank you," Annabeth, almost choking the words out.

"Oh... no problem," I said. I didn't need to be thanked.

"Wow... So, Annabeth, what do you like to do?' Matt asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "Read, think, draw," she said, shrugging.

The three of us continued our conversation, asking Annabeth what she liked, what her favorite show was, and all of that. However, she asked questions of us as well.

"Do you know anything about Greek My-my.." she struggled, angry at herself.

"Mythology?" I helped, smiling.

"Yeah! Well... do you?" she asked.

"Yup! My favorite myth is the one about Hercules," I said, recounting the story in my mind.

"I like the ones about Apollo. Like how him and his sister fought a giant," Matt said. I knew that story was his favorite.

"What about you Annabeth?" I asked.

"I like the one about the maze. The guy who made seems so smart," she said. "I wish I could make stuff like the Labyrinth," she said, having this word down. It must have meant a lot to her.

"Anyone can do anything they want," Matt said, his cheery demeanor always brightening people's moods.

"Yeah... I guess," she said, unsure.

Just then, the bell rang, and all the kids ran back to the door of the classroom, ready for the last few hours of the day.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was fairly easy. The teacher read us a few chapters from a Magic Tree house Book. The Magic Treehouse books were always dear to me, as they allowed what the real world did not.<p>

After that, the class got a chance to draw. I drew a thunderstorm, which were one of my favorite things to watch. Matt drew a sunny day with a beautiful setting of tress, flowers, and people. Annabeth actually had a professional drawing kit she brought with her, and started to draw a building. But not just any drawing.

She calculated numbers of the height, width, and things I didn't know about that the time. The teacher walked by and was rather impressed with her art. Annabeth simply nodded at her compliment, deep in her work. I was impressed, to say the least.

"I want to be an architect," when I grow up, she told me, another word she had gotten down. Again, I assumed it was important to her.

"A building builder?" I asked.

"Yeah! I want to make permanent things to last forever," she said, as she finished her drawing.

"Cool," I said. My answers weren't very deep, were they?

Eventually, the final bell rung, and everyone packed up. Soon, Matthew, Annabeth, and I were out the door, conversing about the whole day.

"So, your dads cool with you coming over?" Matt asked Annabeth as we made our way down the hall.

Annabeth nodded curtly. "He won't mind," she said, picking up pace.

We finally broke through through the crowd to our mother's mini-van, easily spottable by the golden texture. Matt rushed towards the van while Annabeth and I followed behind.

Matt pulled open the back seat door and got in. When I caught up, I could hear him and mom talking.

"-well, if it's alright with her parents, sure," mom was saying, looking concerned. In today's age, taking a kid without their parent's knowing could create some deep trouble.

"Cool!" Matt said, sitting back in his seat.

Annabeth and I climbed in, strapping on our seatbelts.

"Hi Annabeth. I'm Maria. How are you?" mom asked warmly, extending a hand.

Annabeth shook it. "Thank you Miss Johnson. I can't complain. How are you?' she asked, smiling sweetly.

"I'm doing well, thank you," Maria said, laughing. Mom was clearly happy that our new friend was well-mannered.

"So, should we leave?" mom asked with a smirk.

The answer was an unanimous yes.


End file.
